George Tsamouras Football Journey

Valentine Phoenix v Hamilton Olympic

2.30pm Saturday 6^th May at Cahill Oval

Last Meeting: Round 17, 2016: Hamilton 2 Valentine 2 at Darling Street Oval.

Ladder: Valentine 2^nd (15), Hamilton 3^rd (13)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Valentine – Won Jets 1-0 (a), Won Magpies 4-0 (a), Won Rosebud 2-0 (a)

Hamilton – Won Bears 2-0 (h), Drew Eagles 1-1 (a), Won Magpies 2-0 (a)

Bottom Line

Hamilton coach Michael Bolch returns to his former stomping ground at Cahill Oval and will hold good memories of the ground having not lost there as an Olympic coach since 2011.

His side has returned to form in recent weeks, after a disappointing showing against Charlestown in round six, Olympic are undefeated in three matches and have surged into the top four.

They did it the hard way against Weston, with a gritty first-half display before coming home strong in the second half. As it was in 2016, defence has been the bedrock of their return to form. Hamilton has conceded just once in three matches and that was from the penalty spot.

Olympic has held the wood over the Phoenix of late, winning four of their last five. Valentine’s last victory over Hamilton doubled as Bolch’s last loss at Cahill Oval back in 2011.

However, the Phoenix are a different proposition this season, scoring an average of two goals a game and conceding just over one a game. It has been the last three matches where Valentine has been impregnable at the back, keeping three clean sheets in a row.

Leading goal-scorer Jalon Brown has been a revelation – scoring three so far – and proving to be a constant menace for opposing defences.

These two sides have shown they can score goals and keep them out, so it should be a fascinating contest.

Valentine will be without Matt Paul (triathlon) this weekend, but, Wilson Edwards (away) and Chris Brown (away) will return to the side this weekend. Rhys Cooper (knee) remains on the sidelines for Olympic as does Captain Kyle Hodges (toe).

What the Coaches Said:

Darren Sills (Valentine)

“It’s going to be a difficult one. We were fairly sore and sorry after the weekend so we didn’t train very hard at all on Tuesday night, we had a light session. There are a few sore and sorry bodies from the weekend. It’s going to be difficult but we’d rather play them after winning a few in a row than not, so hopefully fingers crossed we perform to the best of our ability and that’s all we can ask of the players.”

“It’s very important [to start well]. They’ve had the midweek game as well. Although they may have rested a few players it’s important that we get away to a good start. This team were undefeated last year coming into the semi-finals, so these are the sort of teams you want to play against. They’re the benchmark. I watched them play the week before on the Wednesday night up against Maitland and I thought they were really good.”

Michael Bolch (Hamilton)

“They look pretty solid all the way across the park, they kept their third clean sheet in a row so they are doing really well defensively. They work really hard as a unit, Sillsy has got them working really hard for each other. Coming to terms with that pitch will probably be the biggest factor on the day, to be honest with you.”

“It’s not so much what we’ve got to exploit from them. We just need to be more clinical in the front third. We are creating so many chances in games, we probably created 10-12 chances [last weekend]. We’ve just got to be more clinical in the front third.”

Key: Belief. Valentine lost their last two matches at Cahill Oval against Olympic 5-0 and 3-0. After a strong start to the season, do they have the belief to overcome a poor recent record?

U20s Valentine – Hamilton Olympic Cahill Oval Saturday 6^th May kick off 12.30

U18s Valentine – Hamilton Olympic Cahill Oval Saturday 6^th May kick off 10.45

NPL YOUTH ROUND 8:

U16s Hamilton Olympic – Maitland Sunday kick off 2.30 pm at Darling St Oval

U15s Hamilton Olympic – Maitland Sunday kick off 1.00 pm at Darling St Oval

U14s Hamilton Olympic – Maitland Sunday kick off 11.30 am at Darling St Oval

U13s Hamilton Olympic – Maitland Sunday kick off 10.00 am at Darling St Oval

IN OTHER GAMES:

Broadmeadow Magic v Maitland Magpies

2.30pm Sunday 7^th May at Magic Park

Last Meeting: Round 18, 2016: Maitland 0 Broadmeadow 2 at Cooks Square Park.

Ladder: Broadmeadow 8^th (9pts), Maitland 4^th (13)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Broadmeadow – Drew Rosebuds 0-0 (a), Drew Jaffas 1-1 (a), Lost Blues 0-1 (a)

Maitland – Won Roosters 1-0 (h), Won Bears 1-0 (h), Lost Phoenix 0-4 (h)

Bottom Line

Ruben Zadkovich will be hoping his side’s performance writes the headlines this weekend and not his comments after the Broadmeadow boss’ controversial thoughts marred the post-script of a tense ANZAC Day tussle.

Broadmeadow will be aiming to bounce back after a dour draw against the Rosebud’s where they struggled to create chances in the second 45. In the first half against Adamstown and the week before against Lambton, Ruben Zadkovich’s side created chances but were unable to finish.

While they have created chances, finishing has been an issue, with Magic scoring just once in their last three matches – a penalty against Lambton. Of their eight goals this season, just five have come from open play.

After a pair of disappointing results, Maitland has returned to form in the last week with two tight 1-0 wins against Weston and Lake Macquarie which has seen them squeeze their way into the top four.

After a busy start to the season – where they played seven matches in 26 days – Maitland will probably give themselves a pass mark.

A congested schedule, injuries, and players missing matches due to work commitments has made life difficult for the Magpies, 13 points and sitting just four points from the top spot with a game in hand will keen coach Phil Dando happy.

In a positive for the spectacle, both sides head into the match at full strength. Expect a tight contest, with only a goal in it. Broadmeadow will be desperate as a loss will see them slip further from the top four.

What the Coaches Said:

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“It’s been the same problem all season, we just need to take our chances. We are certainly creating plenty and we are very hard to beat at the moment. We haven’t really conceded many goals from open play. It’s just about the boys taking their chances, but we are playing some really good stuff and obviously, Maitland are as well, so it should be a cracker of a game.”

“When we stick to the way we want to play we look deadly, we look really, really dangerous. It’s just the longer it goes without taking those chances the more frustrated people get so I think that really kicked in on ANZAC Day. It’s just the frustration from the boys that they are playing against 11 men camped in their own half and the fact that we hadn’t scored it just got harder and harder.”

Phil Dando (Maitland)

“They’ve had an indifferent start to the season. They haven’t quite hit their straps yet. By the sounds of it, Ruben was a bit disappointed with the way they played the other week. He’ll probably have done a fair bit of work on the training pitch, and they’ll come at us all guns blazing I would imagine. They will want to put things right so we’ll have to be at our best.”

“We had a training session on ANZAC Day in the morning and we did our only session on defending in that session and since then we have kept two clean sheets. It’s just little things that needed rectifying and people just needed to concentrate a bit better. I think that’s what let us down a little bit, the tiredness when we played Valentine, everything went out the window then. [The last two matches] have been very pleasing].”

Key: The front third. With the two lowest scoring sides this season meeting, which side can get their front third firing?

  

Weston Workers Bears v Edgeworth Eagles

2.30pm Sunday 7^th May at Rockwell Automation Park

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2016: Weston 0 Edgeworth 3 at Rockwell Automation Park.

Ladder: Edgeworth 5^th (12), Weston 9^th (4)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Weston – Lost Olympic 0-2 (a), Lost Magpies 0-1 (a), Drew Jets 2-2 (a)

Edgeworth – Won Blues 2-0 (h), Won Jets 1-0 (a), Drew Olympic 1-1 (h)

Bottom Line

After a promising start to the season where they lost just one of their opening five matches, Weston have lost their last two and sit just two points from the bottom of the ladder.

A tight loss to an understrength Maitland side, followed by a strong performance against Hamilton only to be let down by two individual errors has left the Bears in a difficult spot as they get ready to host an Edgeworth side who has returned to form over the last two weeks.

Weston haven’t scored in two matches now, and facing the best defence in the competition won’t make it any easier for the Bears attack.

Kieran Sanders and Brody Taylor struck two stunning strikes on the weekend to get them home against the Blues, and couple that result with the win over the Jets and it seems the Eagles are returning to their 2016 form.

They have won their last three matches against Weston, and haven’t lost against the Bears since 2015 where a gritty and determined Weston side rolled up their sleeves and ground out a 1-0 victory at Rockwell Automation Park.

If the young Bears are able to channel that determination on Sunday, Edgeworth could be in for a real test. But, to beat Edgeworth, they will need to score because under Zane the Eagles have been kept scoreless just once in their last 29 Playstation®4 NPL matches.

Daniel McBreen’s suspension is over, but he will miss them match due to Fox Sports commitments with the Hyundai A-League Grand Final. Adam Cawley (illness) will return to the side.

What the Coaches Said:

Steve Piggott (Weston)

“Each week they are shattered when they don’t get a result, don’t get me wrong, they are shattered because they have worked hard. No one has thumped them. I thought we may have got a thumping or two, but they have stood up and they have worked hard and they have been in every match and they probably could have got more out of the weekend’s match if they worked out a way to score a goal.”

“I think overall the group has improved tactically, they are more tactically aware than, ten weeks ago. They have worked hard at the things I have asked them to do and they have executed the game plans to about 80% of their capacity. It’s finding that little bit more and the one percent things that I challenge them to do each week and improve on. Once they click this team will be a fair team.”

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“We played them in a trial game and then the heritage cup and there was massive improvements from one game to the next which was what I expected with Piggo [Steve Piggott] as coach. Everyone was sort of saying Weston would be down the bottom and the whipping boys and they might be down the bottom but they have been competitive in every game. I expect them to come out and try and stop us from doing what we do.”

“They’ve got some good players in there too to be honest. I think [Max] Foster and [Jake] Millsteed are pretty handy in midfield and Jamie Byrnes is as dangerous as anyone on his day in my opinion. The young [Cooper] Buswell, we’ve got a few Central Coast people in our club and they rate him pretty highly, and the young boy [James] Thompson. If we don’t turn up, it’s like every game, we won’t win.”

Key: Will a confidence boosting from the Westfield FFA Cup win on Wednesday spur the Bears to victory on Sunday?

 

Charlestown City Blues v Adamstown Rosebud

2.30pm Sunday 7^th May at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 13, 2016: Adamstown 1 Charlestown 3 at Adamstown Oval.

Ladder: Charlestown 7^th (10), Adamstown 10^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Charlestown – Lost Eagles 0-2 (a), Lost Jaffas 1-2 (h), Won Olympic 2-1 (a)

Adamstown – Lost Jaffas 1-3 (h), Drew Magic 0-0 (h), Lost Roosters 1-2 (h)

Bottom Line

It’s been a long time between away matches for Adamstown, and this weekend they will hit the road for the first time in a month to travel to Charlestown to take on the Blues.

After hitting rock bottom, with the defeat to Lake Macquarie in round six Adamstown have responded well with improved performances against Broadmeadow and then at the weekend against Lambton.

Up against the ladder leading Jaffas many expected Lambton to get the job done easily on Sunday afternoon, but, it wasn’t to be with Chris Berlin bridging the deficit to just a goal in the second half and the Rosebuds as they clawed their way back.

Unfortunately for the Rosebud’s they couldn’t find the equaliser and Joel Griffiths put them out of reach late on in stoppage time.

Charlestown were flying high a little over two weeks ago with wins against Broadmeadow and Hamilton coming in quick succession.

Losses to Lambton and Edgeworth in recent times have brought them back down to earth but it shouldn’t be a worry for Shane Pryce’s men, having given a solid account of themselves against two of the strongest sides in the competition.

This match though is one Pryce will want to win and will provide a good indication as to whether victories over Olympic and Magic were a flash in the pan. A win here for the Blues and they will keep pace with the top four.

What the Coaches Said:

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“The Lakes game I thought we had enough ball to win two games and just didn’t win the game which was pretty poor on our behalf. The Magic game was a bit of a shift in tactics and how we played and I was happy with how we defended which was good. On the weekend, we opened up a bit and tried to win the ball higher up the pitch. It’s been an improvement, they are working hard and that’s a big positive.”

“They’ve been doing quite well so I’m expecting a pretty difficult game. To be honest I think they have got a couple of good midfielders in Josh Maguire and Matt Tull, very experienced. Then there’s Daniel Laiman, he’s always a force coming from deep areas. [Rene Ferguson] has been getting some goals, he scored goals last year and he’s got a few this year.”

Key: With seven of 21 players from the start of the season gone, can Charlestown’s youngsters make the step up?

 

Lake Macquarie City Roosters v Newcastle Jets Youth

2.30pm Sunday 30^th April at Macquarie Field

Last Meeting: Round 15, 2014: Lake Macquarie 2 Jets Youth 1 at Macquarie Field.

Ladder: Lake Macquarie 6^th (11), Jets Youth 11^th (2)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Lakes – Lost Magpies 0-1 (a), Won Rosebud 2-1 (a), Lost Jaffas 0-4 (h)

Jets – Lost Phoenix 0-1 (a), Lost Eagles 0-1 (h), Drew Bears 2-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Both Lake Macquarie and the Jets Youth are coming off losses last weekend and are in need of a win, but for two very different reasons.

After an unbeaten start to the season, where the Roosters sat on top of the ladder they have now dropped two of their last three and have only managed to find the back of the net twice during the time.

Over the same time period, Lakes have dropped from first to sixth and a loss against the Jets Youth on Sunday afternoon could potentially see them drop to as low at eighth, with the top four getting out of their reach.

The Jets Youth, on the other hand, haven’t won in seven matches and sit bottom of the table – not a position the Youth side will want to sit in considering how the Newcastle Jets finished off the Hyundai A-League season.

It has been a tough two months for the club, with criticism fired from all parts and a win here to pull them off the bottom of the ladder could just prove the perfect tonic for some positivity.

At the same stage last season, the Jets only had two more points than they do currently, with only a win and a draw from their seven matches. They recovered to win seven of their final ten matches to finish fifth.

After a start to the season where they regularly conceded four goals a game, they have improved at the back, only conceding twice in the last two matches.

Cody Carroll and Finn Parris both have hamstring issues and are in doubt for the Jets. For Lakes, Justin Broadley (toe) is back training, but will still remain on the sideline this weekend. Dean Holt (overseas) missed the match as well.

What the Coaches Said:

Anthony Richards (Lakes)

“This is a really tough one for us because these guys play really good football, and play it at a good speed so on our ground this is going to be a super test. This will be our hardest game I think of the year. I think they are very close to their first win. Let’s hope it’s a fortnight away not a week away.”

“We just want to improve in trying to keep the ball, as if we’ve got the ball we can’t score. We are really concentrating on keeping the ball. Even in the FFA Cup, we didn’t really care too much about the scoreline we were just more concerned about keeping the ball, and we did well [in the FFA Cup] keeping the ball I thought.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“We’ve had our games that we should have picked up three points in. That game on the weekend was a bit of a let down for everyone because we dominated the game and we threw three points away. I never felt the game was in any threat on the weekend. It was a good week defensively for us because we had all the rain and didn’t have a chance to work on the defensive side, so we have done a few weeks on it now.”

“I put them under pressure internally that we have to win games, but, with anything that has got to do with the media or anything that is out there on forums or people want to make comment I take full responsibility and they know that. We went through this last year and the margins are very small when it is boys playing against men, this can happen. I’m not concerned, we have shown improvements defensively, and we’ve score goals this year.”

Key: The Jets Youth have created chances over the past few weeks, and have had nothing to show for it. Can they take them on Sunday?

source: sportstg.com

Hamilton Olympic defeated second-tier Cessnock City 5-0 at Turner Park with a double from Tom Carias-Cox and goals to Kane Goodchild, Tom Stewart and Luke Vallone.

Kale Bradbery provided a highlight among the NPL clubs, scoring a hat-trick for Broadmeadow as they defeated second-tier Wallsend 8-0 at Magic Park. James Virgili, Lawrence Foteff, Josh Piddington, Scott Pettit and Luke Virgili also scored for Broadmeadow.

NPL club Maitland had no trouble against Warners Bay, who play in the third tier of NNSW football, at John Street Oval, cruising to an 8-1 win. Ben Martin, Zac Hill, Jye McKellar, Ryan Broadley, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff and Matt Sokulsky were other scorers for the Magpies.

At Jack McLaughlan Oval, Daniel McBreen scored a treble for Edgeworth in his return from suspension as the Eagles beat second-tier Belmont Swansea 9-0. Keigo Moriyasu and Will Bower scored twice each and Aden Gardner also got on the scoresheet for Edgeworth, who made it to the round of 16 last year in a best-ever showing from a NNSW club in the nationwide knockout. 

New Lambton edged out fellow Northern League One club Kahibah 2-1 at Alder Park on Tuesday night.

source:theherald.com.au

With a gifted goal and a penalty, Hamilton Olympic were able to curb the resistance of a young Weston side and collect the 3 points at Darling St Oval on Sunday night.

Olympic began the match dominating possession and looking threatening but Weston defending in numbers, minimised the clear cut goal scoring opportunities and tried to hit on the counter.

The first clear cut chance for Olympic came in 32” through Mathew Swan from a Kane Goodchild cross, but his header went narrowly wide.

In the 40” a poor clearance from the Weston defence was intercepted by Kane Goodchild who walked into the net with the ball to make the score 1-0 for Olympic.

In the remaining 5 minutes the game opened up with Weston coming forward in search of an equaliser. Despite this, the half time whistle found Olympic leading 1-0.

In the opening 10” of the second half, Scott Smith came close to doubling the score for Olympic but at the same time, a great save by Danny Ireland denied Weston from an equaliser from a well taken corner.

Matthew Swan wriggled his way through a number of defenders before being denied by the Weston goalkeeper while Scott Smith curled a great ball which beat the keeper, only to be cleared off the line by a defender.

In the 75’’ a sustained Olympic attack resulted in a hand ball ruling by the referee inside the Weston penalty box! Kane Goodchild had no problem scoring from the penalty spot to make the score 2-0.

In the 87” Thompson saw a second yellow card and was given his marching orders leaving Weston with only 10 men.

A deserved victory by Olympic over a young Weston side which was beaten but certainly not disgraced.

Under 20s Olympic won 4-0
Under 18s Olympic won 4-0

NPL Youth
Lambton vs Olympic
Under 16s Lambton won 0-2
Under 15s Olympic won 3-0
Under 14s drew
Under 13s Olympic won 3-0

Zone League 2
Nelson Bay vs Olympic
1st Grade Olympic won 4-1
2nd Grade Olympic won 4-1

NET results
Under 10s Olympic defeated South Wallsend 2-1
Under 11s Olympic defeated South Wallsend 2-0
Under 12s Olympic defeated Maitland 14-0

Olympic Junior Results
Under 16a Olympic and Magic drew 1-1
Under 15a Olympic defeated Lambton 4-1
Under 13a Olympic defeated by Charlestown 1-2
Under 12b Olympic defeated Kahibah 8-0

Under 9/1 Olympic defeated Nelson Bay
Under 9/2 Olympic
Under 8/1 Olympic defeated Lambton
Under 8/2 Olympic defeated Medowie
Under 7/1 Olympic defeated Cooks Hill
Under 6/1 Olympic defeated Cooks Hill
Under 6/2 Olympic defeated Fletcher
Under 6/3 Olympic defeated Cooks Hill

source: Tom Tsamouras

 

 

 

 

Hamilton Olympic v Weston Bears

2.30 pm Sunday 30^th April at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Round 13, 2016: Weston 1 Hamilton 3 at Rockwell Automation Park.

Ladder: Hamilton 4^th (10), Weston 9^th (4)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Hamilton – Drew Eagles 1-1 (a), Won Magpies 2-0 (a), Lost Blues 1-2 (h)

Weston – Lost Magpies 0-1 (a), Drew Jets 2-2 (a), Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a)

Bottom Line

Weston will look to bounce back from a gut-wrenching draw against the Jets Youth last weekend which surely will have felt like a defeat.

Combined with their tight 1-0 loss to Maitland on Wednesday the Bears will feel they aren’t far off claiming their first three points of the season.

Scoring in the final minute to lead 2-1 against the Jets it seemed the Bears would claim their first victory of the season. But, alas for Weston they gave away a penalty and ultimately threw away the points. 

It has been moments like that which have hurt Weston throughout the season. Twice they led against the now first-placed Jaffas and gave up the lead and added to the result against the Jets and the draws against Adamstown and Lake Macquarie it leaves Weston ninth.

Olympic will enjoy the week to recover from a battering week of football where they played Charlestown, Maitland and Edgeworth all in the space of eight days.

Against three very physical sides coach, Mick Bolch would have been pleased with the four points his side took from matches against Maitland and Edgeworth after a disappointing showing against Charlestown.

Hamilton have been very much up and down so far, this season, however, just having the one draw has been crucial for Olympic to keep themselves just inside the top four.

Nick Thompson (away) will return to the Weston side this weekend. However, Jacob Golding will still remain sidelined for at least five more weeks as he recovers from an ankle injury that he suffered in round two.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“All in all, I was very proud of what the boys did [against Edgeworth]. While you are never happy with a result as a draw, the last few years we have had 12 draws and cost ourselves titles. That is our first draw all year, so it’s not ideal but with the players, we had our – Grant Brown and Rhys Cooper –I’m happy with where we are at.”

Losing Kyle [Hodges] and Scott Smith on the weekend [hurt us]. You’ve only got to look at our first three games when he didn’t play we had a loss and a draw. We have been very good since he has been back. We lost a little bit of shape when he came out of the backline [on the weekend]. When Scott Smith came off he twinged his back, you lose a bit of energy when Scott’s not out there.”

Steve Piggott (Weston)

“I was devastated, they were devastated [with the weekend result]. They know they have got to play for 90 minutes. We have discussed it in depth. You are just going over the same things really. We scored the first goal and I sent out a message “start to concentrate for the next three to five minutes”. The Captain yelled it out “Come on let’s keep them out.” Fifty seconds later we conceded an equaliser, 1-1. It’s a mental thing, it’s not physical.”

“We are pretty good at the back but they are special guys [Scott Smith and Kane Goodchild], they are big and strong keep the ball well. In the last six to ten yards of the park they are good at scoring goals, they have earnt their stripes over the years. At the back and in the midfield, they have got some handy players. Leo Bertos may have left them but they have got a quality group. I don’t think they’ve played to their full potential this year. They haven’t hit the heights they probably should.”

Key: Youth v Experience. Which will win out in the end?

 U18s Olympic – Weston kick-off 10:45 at Darling St Oval

 U20s Olympic – Weston kick-off 12:30 at Darling St Oval

YOUTH NPL:

U16s Lambton Jaffas vs Hamilton Olympic at Arthur Eden Oval 2.30 pm

U15s Lambton Jaffas vs Hamilton Olympic at Arthur Eden Oval 1.00 pm

U14s Lambton Jaffas vs Hamilton Olympic at Arthur Eden Oval 11:30 am

U13s Lambton Jaffas vs Hamilton Olympic at Arthur Eden Oval 10:00 am

Newcastle Jets Youth v Valentine Phoenix

2.30 pm Saturday 29^th April at Cahill Oval

Last Meeting: Round 18, 2016: Valentine 0 Jets Youth 2

Ladder: Jets Youth 11^th (2), Valentine 2^nd (12)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Jets – Lost Eagles 0-1 (h), Drew Bears 2-2 (a), Lost Olympic 1-4 (a)

Valentine – Won Magpies 4-0 (a), Won Rosebud 2-0 (a), Won Jaffas 3-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Two sides who don’t mind attacking football meet on Saturday afternoon, so it seems a lot of goals may be on the cards in this one.

In their last three matches, 18 goals have been scored at an average of six per game, but, unfortunately for Valentine, the Jets have scored 13 of those and haven’t lost a match to the Phoenix since they entered the competition in 2012.

While their record against the Jets isn’t great, Valentine are flying and high and sit in second place on the ladder just two points behind the first-placed Jaffas. They have been the surprise packet of the current season and would like to make it four wins in a row against the Jets.

The Jets problem has been a similar one to that of the last few seasons, in their ability to defend. They can score plenty of goals, it is as the back though where they are often exploited.

They showed plenty of character to claim just their second point of the season against Weston on Sunday.

Twice they fought back from a goal down to claim a point including with virtually the last kick of the game. Midweek they only fell 1-0 to the defending Champions and defensively they look stronger every week.

Mark Moric scored a double against the Bears and he’ll be looking to impress coach Clayton Zane again this weekend with another quality performance.

Angus Thurgate won the NYL Player of the Year Award at the Newcastle Jets awards during the week, so expect him to have plenty of confidence against the Phoenix.

In a boost for Valentine, they will welcome back Alec Faulkner who has been overseas. Tyson Jackson (ankle) should return to the Jets while in a blow Cody Carroll (hamstring) and Cameron Joice (groin) are in doubt.

What the Coaches Said:

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I thought we played excellent against Olympic and got touched up 4-1, whereas on the weekend we played well below our level and still got something out of it. There are so many signs of what we saw last year and we are just not learning from it.

“If we had of played like we played against Olympic we would have accounted for Weston no doubt. We defended really well on the weekend and our best players were our left fullback and our two centre-halves. I thought they were excellent.”

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“[The loss against Lakes] might have been the lesson we needed to learn and it is a good time to do it early in the year when we have plenty of time to fix it. I’m confident that we will turn up this week, regardless of who the opposition is and how they are going. They scored a goal in the last minute to get a result in the last minute so you’re not going to write them off.”

“I think it was the speed that they play [that troubled us last year]. We had a lot older squad than what we have this year, we had at least two or three guys in their thirties. Our average age might have come down from 26-27 last year to 21-22 this year so that will help us just purely speed wise. I think they weren’t going too well the first time we played them [last season] and we took them too lightly. You just can’t do that against any team in the comp.”

Key: Valentine have kept two clean sheets in a row and against a Jets side who have put 13 past them in three matches a similar resolute defensive performance is required.

Edgeworth Eagles v Charlestown City Blues

7.30 pm Saturday 29^th April at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Round 16, 2016: Charlestown 1 Edgeworth 2 at Lisle Carr Oval.

Ladder: Edgeworth 7^th (9), Charlestown 5^th (10)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Edgeworth – Won Jets 1-0 (a), Drew Olympic 1-1 (h), Drew Magpies 0-0 (h)

Charlestown – Lost Jaffas 1-2 (h), Won Olympic 2-1 (a) Lost Magpies 1-2 (h)

Bottom Line

A weight would have been lifted off Edgeworth and Damian Zane’s shoulders on Wednesday night as they claimed just their second win in six matches this season to haul themselves back to within a point of the top four.

Before the midweek match the Eagles had won just once this season – against Adamstown 6-0 – and while in the other four matches they had played competition favourites in Hamilton, Lambton, Broadmeadow and Maitland, Damian Zane would have expected to get more than three points out of those matches.

A win over the Jets Youth would have done their confidence the world of good, and to have reduced the gap to five points with a game in hand on the first-placed Jaffas sets up the back end of the season.

Charlestown have had a topsy-turvy run of late, going win-loss-win-loss over their last four matches. But like Edgeworth, those four matches have been against quality opposition in Broadmeadow, Maitland, Hamilton and Lambton.

With Josh Maguire returning this weekend and Rene Ferguson firing again this season the Blues have the goal-scoring prowess to trouble Edgeworth.

It has been all Edgeworth in the last four matches between the sides. Damian Zane has never lost to Shane Pryce in the PlayStation®4 NPL Northern NSW and over those matches, the Eagles have racked up 14 goals to the Blues three.

Daniel McBreen (suspended) is still out for Edgeworth, while Cameron Hughes (work) and Josh Maguire (quad) will miss the match for the Blues.

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“Thirty seconds into the second half [against the Jets], Brenno [Bren Hammel] won the ball and delivered this pinpoint cross and we had runners in the box everywhere and the ball just skidded past every one of them. I just looked and I just went, gee, we are having a bad time of late. We are not far off; the delivery has improved for me in the last couple of weeks. But, I think we are going to cut loose on someone soon, I really do.”

“I think we are finding, as I said to the players, at times our ball movement was ok, but it was slow and we weren’t backing ourselves to play through the centre and look there is no doubt the level of coaching is better this year. If you’re too slow in doing things, teams are so well organised. I’ve just noticed, you can see that in the closeness of the competition that coaches can make a difference.”

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“It’s a massive challenge for us, they’ve been the benchmark of the competition for the last few years now so everyone turns up to beat Edgeworth, but, we’ve also been a bit behind the mark over the last few years against them. It’s a definite challenge for our boys to see if our results have been not a fluke.”

“I guess their danger is that they haven’t been playing the football they want to play and that they know they can play. The challenge there is they have got quality players there that are thinking they’ve got to step up and improve their game and I’m sure the bar has been set by Zaney [Damian Zane] out there. That’s the danger for me, that when it all clicks someone is going to get towelled up.”

Key: Against an Eagles side who have scored just twice in three games, can the Blues bring the determination and defensive steel they have shown over the last month.

Adamstown Rosebud v Lambton Jaffas

2.30 pm Sunday 30^th April at Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Round 16, 2016: Adamstown 1 Lambton 2 at Adamstown Oval.

Ladder: Adamstown 10^th (3), Lambton 1^st (14)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Adamstown – Drew Magic 0-0 (h), Lost Roosters 1-2 (h), Lost Phoenix 0-2 (a)

Lambton – Won Blues 2-1 (a), Drew Magic 1-1 (h), Won Roosters 4-0 (a)

Bottom Line

Adamstown will be feeling a little bit better about themselves after a solid defensive showing against Broadmeadow Magic on ANZAC Day. They showed desperation, determination and plenty of grit as they kept out a frustrated Magic side.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Rosebud’s this weekend as a battle with the first-placed Jaffas looms large. It will be a very good test for Pete McGuinness’ side.

They will have to overcome their recent history as well. Adamstown haven’t won in seven matches against the Jaffas dating back to 2012 in the NewFM First Division.

In the six PS4 NPL matches the sides have played Lambton have won five and they have had one draw. In the process, the Jaffas have scored 21 to the Rosebud’s 2.

The Jaffas are flying this season and are unbeaten in three matches.

They proved the loss of top scorers Pat Brown and Joel Griffiths wouldn’t hurt them last weekend as both didn’t play and Tom Waller and Nathan Verity stepped up with quality goals to ensure a 2-1 win over Charlestown.

Adamstown were resolute in defence against a Broadmeadow side who have spluttered in attack so far this season. Whether they can contain Lambton who are scoring at two goals a match will be a much tougher task.

Adamstown are at full strength, while the Jaffas will be without Pat Brown (knee) who is at least a week away, Joel Griffiths (hip flexor) and Dain Greentree.

What the Coaches Said:

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Whether you are a fella on the hill, or the fella coaching the other team or a member of the public you are entitled to your opinion. I’m happy for people to voice their opinion. I don’t have to necessarily agree with it. We’ve leaked 18 goals or something in six games. I’m not doing my job if I don’t rectify that and rectify it quickly.”

“I’ve played in some teams around Newcastle that would absolutely whip most teams in this competition now and I can tell you now we played against teams that put everyone behind the ball and never ever bothered playing. I didn’t go and whinge about it. It was our job to break that down. It’s a part of football and it doesn’t matter what level you are at, you have different personalities and different philosophies on how to play.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“I expect us to go there and put on a good performance. If they want to park the bus, they can park the bus. There are things you have to do to beat that. If people put a defensive block in, you’ve either got to go through it, around it or over it and you keep working on each of those things during the course of the game until you find the way. We’re well versed in how to do all that.”

“It will probably be the first time we are up against it. I wouldn’t expect them to change too much. It’s probably something we might see a bit more as the season goes on. There are a million ways to play this game, a million ways to play football, and the key to it is to try to find a way to play which suits the cattle you have got, and if Pete thinks that is the best way for him to try and get some results and points, well good on him.”

Key: All in the mind. On paper, the Jaffas look to strong, but the same could be said for Magic on ANZAC Day. Can Lambton turn up with the right attitude?

Maitland Magpies v Lake Macquarie City Roosters

2.30 pm Sunday 30^th April at Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: NewFM 1^st Division, Round 12, 2010: Maitland 0 Lake Macquarie 1 at Cooks Square Park.

Ladder: Maitland 6^th (10), Lake Macquarie 3^rd (11)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Won Bears 1-0 (h), Lost Phoenix 0-4 (h), Lost Olympic 0-2 (h)

Lakes – Won Rosebud 2-1 (a), Lost Jaffas 0-4 (h), Won Magic 4-1 (a)

Bottom Line

Two sides who haven’t met in seven years face-off at Cooks Square Park with the home side looking to build on their 1-0 victory over Weston midweek when they clash with Lake Macquarie at home on Sunday afternoon. 

Both of Maitland’s losses have come at home this season and while a tight 2-0 loss – where they came close to equalising – against Hamilton wouldn’t have concerned coach Phil Dando too much, the 4-0 thumping they received from Valentine would have.

The Phoenix totally outplayed the Magpies on Saturday evening and they cannot afford the same to happen against the Roosters.

Lakes will be fresh after having the bye last weekend and will have regained plenty of confidence after their win against Adamstown last start.

They have lost just once this season – against the first-placed Jaffas. Their resolute defence, combined with their lethal ability to finish chances – led by Sam Walker – has given Lakes a platform to push on for a shot at the finals.

After a crushing defeat at the hands of Lambton at home, the weekend before the Roosters could not have responded any better. Blake Green scored a cracking goal to win the match against the Rosebuds and Sam Walker continued his strong form in front of goals for Lakes.

In a side note to the match, five former Maitland players will line up against their former side with Benn Kelly, Matt Toohey, Steve Rospigliosi, Corey Fletcher and Justin Broadley returning to their former stomping ground.

Toohey makes his return from a groin injury for Lakes while Broadley (toe) could return from injury. For the Magpies, a busy month has taken its toll with Andrew Pawiak (groin), Josh Dutton-Black (knee), Ryan Broadley (ankle), Zac Hill (calf) all in doubt.

What the Coaches Said:

Phil Dando (Maitland)

“[Lakes] have been doing well as well, a surprise packet coming up from the division down. It just goes to show how even this league is at the moment. Everyone’s sort of in the same boat. You can’t really predict results too easily at the moment so they have been doing really well. Scoring goals and playing some good stuff.”

“Last night was our sixth match in 22 days, ten points on the board, I would have liked a couple more, but you know we are probably only two or three points behind where I would have liked us to have been. Anyway, once we have got all the catch-ups out of the way which basically we have now, and we’ve got FFA Cup next week, then we should settle down into a normal routine.”

Anthony Richards (Lakes)

“We are really excited. Maitland to their credit have turned it into an old boys’ day because I think we’ve got more Maitland players than what they have got. They’ve turned it into a community day, so they should get a good ground, so we’re really excited about it.”

“I’m guessing the boys enjoyed ANZAC Day. I saw Corey Fletcher, he was in a two-up ring tossing coins so he’s practising to be captain, I think, for the weekend. I think that was the whole idea! But, our guys are good to go. The week off came at a great time for us, we were able to freshen up and go again, so it’s been terrific for us.”

Key: Home Ground Advantage? Maitland have won just four of their last 17 matches at Cooks Square Park. Can they make it two wins in a row at Windy Hill?

source:sportstg.com

10-MAN Edgeworth came from a goal down to secure a 1-all draw with Hamilton Olympic at Jack McLauglan an Oval on Saturday night.

Former A-League Golden Boot Daniel McBreen was given a straight red card early in the second half after an exchange with referee Ryan Gallagher.

The Eagles trailed 1-0 at the time of the striker’s dismissal.

If anything, the send off lifted the home side and they equalised through a Bren Hammel penalty in the 75^th after the midfielder had been brought down by Tom Davies.

“They probably did better with 10 men,” Olympic coach Mick Bolch said. “They lifted and we were always going to run out of legs after playing Wednesday night. It hurts both of us on the table but I think a draw was a fair result.”

Matthew Swan had put Olympic visitors ahead when he reacted quickest in a goalmouth scramble.

“We were bit flat to start, but I think we deserved the lead at half-time,” Bolch said. “We lost Kyle Hodges to a broken toe at half-time which changed momentum a bit. He is our skipper and lynchpin in the backline. We lost a bit of shape when he went off.”

In the other game on Saturday night, Jalon Brown scored a brace to lead Valentine to a 4-0 win over Maitland. 

On Sunday, Charlestown City are at home to Lambton Jaffas and Weston welcome the Newcastle Jets youth team to Bear Park.

In the final fixture on Anzac Day, Adamstown Rosebuds host Broadmeadow Magic.

Under 20s Edgeworth – Olympic 1-3
Under 18s Edgeworth – Olympic 1-2

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Edgeworth
Under 16s Olympic won 2-1
Under 15s Olympic won 3-2
Under 14s Edgeworth won 2-5
Under 13s Olympic won 5-1

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Hunter Simba
1st Grade Hunter Simba won 1-4
2nd Grade drew 4-4

NET results
Under 10s Olympic defeated by New Lambton 1-2
Under 11s Olympic and New Lambton drew 2-2
Under 12s Olympic vs Charlestown postponed

Olympic Junior Results
Under 16a Olympic defeated Cooks Hill 2-1
Under 15a Olympic defeated by Nelson Bay 0-7
Under 13a Olympic drew with Wallsend 2-2
Under 12b Olympic defeated Sth Cardiff 6-0

source:theherald.com.au

LEO Bertos is not sure if he will play again.

The former New Zealand international told his Hamilton Olympic teammates and coach Michael Bolch after the 2-1 loss to Charlestown last Saturday that it was probably his last game.

Despite attempts to change his mind, the 35-year-old former Wellington and Perth A-League star has stepped aside to focus on work and family. 

“It was the first time in my life in a game when I didn’t want to be there,” Bertos said. 

“I took that as a sign that this might be it.”

The loss of Bertos, who did not play on Wednesday in Hamilton’s 2-0 win over Maitland, comes as fourth-placed Olympic prepare to take on eighth-placed Edgeworth on Saturday at Jack McLaughlan Oval in round seven of the Northern NSW National Premier League.

Bertos, who joined Hamilton last season, welcomed son, Atlas, into the world almost two months ago and is six months into his role as technical director at Macquarie Football. He felt like he was letting Hamilton down but said “I need to do this because I don’t have time to do everything”.

“It’s about making sure I’m home to help and spend time with the family. That’s the main factor,” said Bertos, who also has a two-year-old son, Zeno. But it’s also because of my role with Macquarie Football as the TD. It’s full on and seven days a week, and I’m getting home at 7, 7.30 and the kids are in bed.

“And if I’m at training or playing with Hamilton, then I’m away two, three nights a week and I don’t get to see the family much. That was maybe why I felt like that in that game.”

While not sure he had played his last first-grade game, he said “there’s a good chance”.

“I’m not going to turn up and just play,” he said. “I’ve got to train just like everyone else in the squad.”

“I’m not training or playing with the team, and I’m just concentrating on being at home and working as well. If there’s a time when more time is freed up, I don’t know when that will be, I might consider coming back. It’s not how I pictured it to finish, but the reality is I’ve had a good time playing. I’ve enjoy it there under Bolchy and at the club. They’ve been awesome to me and it feels like a family.”

Bertos joins Rhys Cooper (knee) on the sidelines for Olympic, while Edgeworth should be full-strength for the 6pm clash. At 7.30pm Saturday, Maitland host Valentine at Cooks Square Park.

On Sunday, Charlestown welcome Lambton, who are missing injured strikers Pat Brown and Joel Griffiths, to Lisle Carr Oval and the Bears take on Jets Youth at Weston. Adamstown host Broadmeadow on Anzac Day to finish the round.

* theherald.com.au for BarTV Sports livestream of Edgeworth v Olympic at 6pm on Saturday 

Bertos added that: “I don’t know if I’ll play again and I’m happy if I don’t.

“I don’t know if it will be first grade again, but I’m sure there will be a time when I pull on the boots again. I’m just not sure when that’s going to be.”

He was confident Olympic would be successful without him this year.

“I think this year, which has been very pleasing to see, is there have been a number of boys from the under 22s last year that are in the squad and ready to jump in when needed,” he said.

“There’s young ones coming through and that’s great for the club. And they made a couple of great signings this year in Scotty [Smith] and Macca [Peter McPherson] and they’ve done really well.

“I don’t think we’ve hit our straps yet, and it will take a few more games.”

On retiring, he said: “If that’s it, I’ve enjoyed it and I’ve enjoyed playing in the NPL. It’s a decent level and there’s good players coming through it and some good coaches coming into it now too.

“I think there’s some good signs there for the competition.”

Source:theherald.com.au

 

6 pm Saturday 22^nd April at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Round 14, 2016: Hamilton 3 Edgeworth 1 at Darling Street Oval.

Ladder: Edgeworth 8^th (5), Hamilton 4^th (9)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Edgeworth – Drew Magpies 0-0 (h), Lost Jaffas 1-2 (a), Won Rosebud 6-0 (h)

Hamilton – Won Magpies 2-0 (a), Lost Blues 1-2 (h), Won Jets 4-1 (h)

Bottom Line

Two sides who were expected to be in or at least around the top four by this stage of the season are suddenly under pressure with last years Premiers sitting in eight and Hamilton in seventh. This shapes as a crucial match for both sides and a loss here will leave them with some catching up to do.

Edgeworth starting the season in positive fashion, taking a point away from a clash with Broadmeadow Magic, before crushing the hapless Adamstown Rosebud. Since then a loss to the Jaffas and a draw with Maitland – where they dominated large periods – has seen them fall down the ladder.

However, with the Eagles having only played four matches and a majority of sides in the top four having played six (besides Olympic who have played five), it is by no means panic stations.

Hamilton Olympic, on the other hand, will be full of confidence after responding to their defeat at the weekend with a 2-0 victory against the previously undefeated Maitland. Danny Ireland was outstanding in the match pulling off some match-winning saves for Olympic in the second half and couldn’t have responded any better after a disappointing showing on Saturday.

It has been Olympic with the upper hand in the recent clashes winning the last two – they were the only sides last season which Edgeworth couldn’t beat. Olympic have also won four of the last six between the sides – but crucially one of those losses was the 2015 Grand Final.

Edgeworth are at full strength this week, while Hamilton are still without Rhys Cooper (knee).

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“This is must win. I’ll go as far as saying if we lose this game I don’t think we can win the premiership. That’s how big it is. I know it’s early but I think as the second round goes on there will be less and less upsets, that’s just normal. Depth starts to come into it and I think there is still that gap, probably the top half of the table as far as depth. So, it’s massive for us.”

“We haven’t been playing bad, but there is just something missing and I’ve got to find that or we will get left behind. We are in a bit of a slumber. We are playing quite well if you look at everything. I’m not unhappy with how we are playing. We have five or six defenders which have been there for three years whereas in attack that is where we [aren’t as cohesive]. Kieran [Sanders] is new, Adam Cawley is new so that makes sense that it isn’t firing on all cylinders.”

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“You are never confident going out there [to Jack McLaughlan Oval]. Last year they swept everything else before them so look it is going to be probably our toughest battle so far. I know Zaney [Damian Zane] wouldn’t be happy with the start they have had. I’ve watched their games and they have dominated every game they have played and probably should have won all three.”

“I wouldn’t really go that far [to say we have the psychological edge]. The one big game we have had with them in the last two years was the Grand Final and they beat us in that. They to me are still the yardstick and I expect them to be in the top two at the end of the year. Sooner or later things click for sides like that and I’m sure he’ll [Damian Zane] have them set up and ready to go for the weekend.”

Key: Mick Bolch. He has been the only coach to defeat Damian Zane on more than one occasion since Zane began coaching in the PS4 NPL. Can he mastermind another triumph on enemy territory?

Under 20s kick off 4.00pm
Under 18s kick off 2.15pm

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Edgeworth
Sunday at Darling St Oval
Under 16s kick off 2.30pm
Under15s kick off 1.00pm
Under 14s kick off 11.30am
Under 13s kick off 10.00am

Zone League 2
Hunter Simba vs Olympic
Saturday at Tech College
1st Grade kick off 1.45pm
2nd Grade kick off 12.00pm

Maitland Magpies v Valentine Phoenix

7.30 pm Saturday 22^nd April at Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2016: Maitland 0 Valentine 1 at Cooks Square Park.

Ladder: Maitland 6^th (7), Weston 9^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Lost Olympic 0-2 (h), Won Blues 2-1 (a), Drew Eagles 0-0 (a)

Valentine – Won Rosebud 2-0 (a), Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Lakes 0-3 (a)

Bottom Line

Two rivals from the 2014 NewFM League season where Maitland were promoted and Valentine was forced to wait another season for their chance in the PlayStation®4 NPL Northern NSW; the Magpies and the Phoenix have played some classics over the years.

There were no matches more dramatic in the 2016 season that the round two contest involving these two foes. Wilson Edwards (Valentine) and former Maitland player-coach Dean Heffernan were given their marching orders in the 25^th minute after a scuffle in a match filled with plenty of niggles.

Matt Thompson blocked a clearance from Phoenix keeper Beyhan Irmarko, controlled and scored in the final minute to win the match for the Magpies in one of the matches of the season. The Phoenix returned to serve in round 11 with a 1-0 win to ensure the ledger is all square in the PS4 NPL Northern NSW.

Valentine have had a topsy-turvy start to 2016, but the crucial fact is they have not drawn any matches. While they may have lost two, three wins from five have been enough to keep them in the top four.

Maitland had an undefeated run over their opening three matches, however, a midweek defeat to Hamilton has brought them back to the field. While they have just played four matches their defensive record is one of the best in the league conceding five goals so far in their four matches.

Andrew Pawiak missed Wednesday’s match with a stomach bug and should be back, while winger Ryan Clarke (hamstring) is available. Blake Thompson (knee) needs to be assessed before the match.

The visitors Valentine have Alex Faulkner out, as he attends his brother’s wedding in the US, while Justin Micallef has left the club to seek an opportunity in Sydney.

What the Coaches Said:

Darren Sills (Valentine)

“Clean sheets are great but I’d rather be winning games. I like watching goals. I don’t care if the opposition score them as long as we score more. I like it when it is 3-2, I like those sort of games where it is a bit more exciting. If you want to watch boring football, people tend to get turned off by it. I like it when there is action from end to end.”

“I wouldn’t have [expected] this position on the ladder, but I wanted three out of five wins [to start the season]. That is what our aim was to have at least three out of five. If you had of said to me at the beginning of the season which games, I would have thought we probably could have knocked over Lakes and probably wouldn’t have been able to beat Jaffas so it turned out the other way around. We are still on track, where we are. These next two weeks are really important to us.”

Phil Dando (Maitland)

“They [Valentine] have had some good results. The new American lad seems to be doing well for them, we’ve just got to keep on keeping on. If we are at our best we are a match for anyone in the competition. Once again [with the busy schedule], we will have to look at rotating players. We’ve just got to manage the situation as best we can at the moment.”

“As far as playing at home goes there is no reason for it to cause any problems. Like all teams, you want to make your home ground a bit of a fortress. It should be a daunting place to come to the top of the hill especially in the middle of winter. We need to use that to our advantage. Maybe it was just a blip last season, I don’t know, but, we will be certainly looking to win the majority of our home games this year.”

Key: Consistency. After keeping their first PS4 NPL Northern NSW clean sheet last match against Adamstown, can Valentine maKe it two from two and three wins in a row?

 

Weston Bears v Newcastle Jets Youth

2.30 pm Sunday 22^nd April at Rockwell Automation Park

Last Meeting: Round 10, 2016: Jets Youth 3 Weston 0 at Rockwell Automation Park.

Ladder: Weston 9^th (3), Jets Youth 11^th (1)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Jets – Lost Olympic 1-4 (a), Lost Magpies 2-4 (h), Lost Blues 1-4 (h)

Weston – Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h), Lost Magic 0-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Two of the youngest sides in the competition do battle on Sunday afternoon as both look to climb off the bottom rungs of the ladder and move into the mid-table.

While just two points separate the sides, over their four matches, Weston have looked the better of the two – losing just once. That was against Broadmeadow in round two. The Bears have been competitive in all matches it has just been their inability to strike the killer blow and claim the three points which has hurt them so far this season.

They have shown grit, character and determination in coming from behind to take a point from matches against Lambton and Adamstown but it is their finishing which Steve Piggott wants to improve which will take them to the next level.

The Jets have shown their ability to score goals this season, especially in round one where they put four past Adamstown. But, it has been at the back where the leaks have occurred conceding four in all four matches they have played this season.

With the Jets Hyundai A-League season all wrapped up, it will give a chance to some of the youth players from the first team squad to come into the line-up including Harrison Sawyer and Kristian Brymora who should continue to spark the Jets in the front third.

The Jets usually struggle with the physicality of the PS4 NPL sides, so against a young less physical Weston side, expect an even, fast paced and fluent contest.

In a positive for the Jets Youth, Kristian Brymora (hamstring) is a chance of returning as is Solomon Vaiika (concussion), Ryan Smith (ankle) and Leroy Jennings (glandular fever). Jets striker Harry Sawyer misses the Youth team cut off by two hours, so he may be shopped around to other PS4 NPL NNSW clubs during the transfer window.

What the Coaches Said:

Steve Piggott (Weston)

“We haven’t played in two weeks so we are looking forward to it. It will be good to get back on the horse and battle for three points. Again, they have trained well and you can only do so much when you haven’t got games lined up. I can’t wait for the game.”

“Our front young two, they are going alright the two 17-year-olds. But, sometimes we are a bit naive and they have got to do better in front of goal. For me, the backlines got to stop leaking goals. They make some silly errors at times, but, they are young and that’s what happens, just a little bit of concentration lapses. I’m sure if we just do those things well and simply we’ll be ok this week.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I haven’t had the chance to see them [Weston] play. I’ve just heard some reports that they have been competitive even though they have some younger boys in there. I know what Piggo [Steve Piggott] is like, he makes his teams hard to beat. I think it’s a game that both teams with look at as a chance of picking up three points. I would have thought it’s a game where the team that defends the best with come away with the spoils.”

“Monday was the first chance we’ve had to get back on the grass. We had one weekend game, we took them up to the beach and just found a patch of grass and just got a touch on the ball, but, we couldn’t get on the field at the Uni so we have had one tactical session and one conditioning session, so it’s not been ideal. But, that was out focus, defending in the back third and we are doing things right.” 

Key: Can the Jets put a stop to their leaky defence?

 

Charlestown City Blues v Lambton Jaffas

2.30 pm Sunday 22^nd April at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 14, 2016: Charlestown 0 Lambton 0 at Lisle Carr Oval.

Ladder: Charlestown 3^rd (10), Lambton 1^st (11)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Charlestown – Won Olympic 2-1 (a) Lost Magpies 1-2 (h), Won Magic 1-0 (h)

Lambton – Drew Magic 1-1 (h), Won Roosters 4-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 2-3 (h)

Bottom Line

A resurgent Charlestown outfit meet a Jaffas side who sit top of the ladder and looking for consistency. While the Jaffas sit atop the table after six matches, they haven’t won consecutive matches this season.

Charlestown have responded emphatically after a slow start to the season to win three of their last four matches which has seen them surge up to third spot – just one point off the first placed Jaffas.

Having a game plan is one part of the puzzle, but sticking to it is an entirely different challenge and last weekend Charlestown did it superbly.

Playing against a side who had put nine past them to no reply last year Shane Pryce’s men had to do something different and they did. They pulled off a 2-1 victory which had plenty of evidence of research and homework executed perfectly.

Lambton struggled to hold possession in their match with Broadmeadow last week and were subsequently outplayed.

Like most coaches, James Pascoe has relished the chance to work with his side on the pitch this week with some sunny weather ensuring the ground have dried out. When they get it right they are unstoppable, but it has been as consistent as Pascoe would like.

In an interesting side note these two sides will play each other in a couple of weeks in the only all-NPL FFA Cup match in round four.

Charlestown’s Andy Kjiln (quad) is out for the home side while Jaffas leading scorers Pat Brown (knee) and Joel Griffiths (hip flexor) will both miss the match. Luke Remington was cleared of an elbow injury and will play.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“We are playing the top team so they’ve got to be shown that respect in my mind. They aren’t on top because they fluked it, they are on top because they have earnt it. They have changed players and their mindset I think this year so that is why they are on top, in my mind.”

“They are playing a different formation that is obviously working for them. That’s going to be a challenge for us, to be able to break down or adapt or get on top of their structure. They are obviously on top of the league and they are obviously getting some success from it and that brings confidence. If we don’t turn up to play the top team will continue to be the top team.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“For the first time this season we will be able to do three good sessions in the build-up to the game so I’m happy with the preparation. Obviously, we’ve got to do without a couple of players that we would like to have involved but at least the weather has given us a chance to prepare the boys who are going to step in for those players, better than would have been the case if things stayed the same from a weather point of view.”

“The issue we had [last week] with our control of the ball was created by ourselves and how we defended. The way we are set up this year, specific roles for people and the roles that people have in the wingback areas and the two side centre-backs, if those two jobs aren’t done to the letter it basically causes us to be a man down further up the pitch and teams get a bit of possession on us and then we get caught a little deep, it’s hard to play our successfully from the top of your own box.”

Key: Can Lambton cope with the loss of Brown and Griffiths who have contributed 11 of their 14 goals this season?

 

Adamstown Rosebud v Broadmeadow Magic

2.30 pm Tuesday 25^th April at Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Round 10, 2016: Adamstown 3 Broadmeadow 3 at Adamstown Oval

Ladder: Adamstown 10^th (2), Broadmeadow 6^th (8)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Adamstown – Lost Roosters 1-2 (h), Lost Phoenix 0-2 (a), Drew Bears 3-3 (h)

Broadmeadow – Drew Jaffas 1-1 (a), Lost Blues 0-1 (a), Lost Roosters 1-4 (h)

Bottom Line

Adamstown are in a rut and they just can’t find a way out of it. With three wins out of their last 24 PS4 NPL Northern NSW matches, it has been a horror last year for the most successful club in Northern NSW.

But, in between all that disappointment, Adamstown won the inaugural NNSWF Heritage Cup this season. So where has it all gone wrong for the proud club? At the back, it seems.

Errors coming out of their own defensive third have crippled the Rosebuds and apart from the Jets Youth, they have the worst games to goals conceded ratio in the league – conceding on average three goals a game.

It doesn’t take an expert to work out that they need to tighten they defence and fast. They’ve conceded 71 goals in those 24 matches mentioned earlier. It’s no surprise they’ve won just three of those.

After two weeks of underwhelming results for Broadmeadow, they bounced back against the Jaffas but still struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. It’s been a common theme for Magic this season, scoring only eight in six matches. Just five of those have been from open play.

Dino Fajkovic was outstanding for Broadmeadow in the first half on Good Friday and could have had at least two if not for the brilliant goalkeeping display of, Man of the Match, Daniel March. If Magic bring a similar attacking intent and are more ruthless in front of goal it could get ugly for Adamstown.

Rosebud’s Zaell Ford (Melbourne) and Jordan Harrison (Pacific Islands) both return from trips away. Justin Tannock (hip flexor) will return to the side. Broadmeadow will be at full strength.

What the Coaches Said:

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“They’ve got some quality on their roster and they’ve got Ruben who is obviously working with them to play the way he wants to play. I’ve seen some performances that have been pretty good from them. They’ll be tough, the experience they have on the field versus the experience we have on the field is probably a little higher so it’ll be a challenge.”

“Everyone still keeps applying themselves. They all show up at training three nights a week and they do the right things in and around what we expect at training. It’s obvious they are disappointed, you’ve only got to look at them after the games. The last two weeks, in particular, they have been very devastated in particular not getting something out of those games.”

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“It’s not easy, I’m probably asking different things. Some of the boys have been at the club a long time so they’ve got their own ideas and their own ways of thinking the way the game should be played, but their attitude has been pretty good, they’ve all jumped on board and they are all trying to implement the game plan as best they can. It was evident the other day against Lambton that when they get it right it’s quite an attacking style of football and it’s just one that is going to bring the best out of them.”

“I’m happy with how it’s coming along. To be honest I think we’ve been a little bit hard done by the last weeks and probably should have picked up points. If you put an extra four points on where we are now, then we would be sitting a lot prettier. Sometimes results and where you are sitting can be a confidence booster. That’s the only thing that is disappointing that we haven’t quite been paid off in the last couple of weeks.”

Key: A Winning Mentality. Adamstown needs to develop one and fast.

Source: sportstg.com

Hamilton Olympic came away with 3 points during the Round 4 deferred fixture at Maitland after two goals from Kane Goodchild.

The game began at a very fast pace with both teams in need of the three points.

Olympic began with Davies, Hodges and Duncan at the back, Goodchild and Smith in attack and concentrated their numbers in the midfield. The effect of this was control in midfield, Maitland without much possession and Olympic very dangerous on the break.

By the 18’ this control paid dividend when a nice through ball to Kane Goodchild enabled him to tuck the ball past Matthew Trott for a 1-0 lead.

A free kick from McPherson in the 26’ forced a great save from Matthew Trott. Two minutes later McPherson tests the Maitland goalkeeper again and forces a corner.

Olympic continued to control the match until the end of the first half with Maitland being unable to create a single clear cut chance to score.

The second half began with Olympic threatening to score from the outset. Louis Townsend broke from the right and fired a cross which came off the post of Matthew Trott.

Moments later Kane Goodchild showed his intentions when he fired wide from the same position.

By the 52’ Maitland made a counter attack which ended up crashing off the Olympic woodwork. This was repeated later when Danny Ireland pushed the ball away for a corner after a double save.

Despite these two opportunities Olympic continued to press forward in search of a second goal and this didn’t take long to materialise.

Two minutes from normal time, Musa Kamara floated a great corner kick into the head of Kane Goodchild who had no problem making the score 2-0.

The game was reduced to a formality after this and Olympic was able to come home with the 3 points.

u20s defeated Maitland 3-1

u18s defeated Maitland 3-0

Source: Tom Tsamouras

 

 

EVERYONE remembers a goalkeeping howler, especially when it comes from Danny Ireland.

So rarely has the Hamilton keeper made costly errors in the Northern NSW National Premier League that a fumbled corner kick in the second minute against Charlestown on Saturday night has stood out for many in round six.

The mistake gave Charlestown the lead, and another Josh Maguire corner, in the 57^th minute, beat Hamilton’s defence at the near post to give the Blues a 2-1 victory at Darling Street Oval.

The result left Olympic on six points from four games ahead of Wednesday’s 6.30pm catch-up clash at Maitland, who have seven points from three matches. It shapes as a crucial early test for Hamilton, who are three points outside the top four and take on two-time defending champions Edgeworth on Saturday night.

While the blunders at corners proved decisive last Saturday night, Hamilton coach Michael Bolch was more concerned with the missed chances in attack and the intensity of his side. 

“It’s a bad thing for keepers, they make one mistake and that’s all people remember,” Bolch said.

“We missed three one-on-ones and Goody [Kane Goodchild] had a runaway one-on-one at the end of the game, and it all just comes back to keeper mistakes.

“We really just got outenthused on Saturday night. They wanted it more than us. It turned into a battle and they won all the individual battles and all the second-phase ball.

“There were two poor goals from us from corners but we created enough to get something out of the game.”

Bolch believed the league was tighter than previous years and every team were dangerous.

“It just shows with the comp this year, it is a lot closer,” he said. “Jaffas were beaten by Phoenix and had a draw with Weston, Magic got beat by Azzurri and Lakes. They are not results you expect, as such, so it just shows if you don’t turn up on the day ready to go, you get beaten.”

Maitland football manager Mick Mirisch said Ryan Clarke (hamstring) remained the Magpies’ only injury problem. Bolch had no new injuries in his squad. 

“They were a good side last year,” Bolch said of the Magpies. “We didn’t beat them once last year and they made the semis, and they’ve added to that with [Andrew] Pawiak, [Shane] Cansdell-Sherriff and [Josh] Dutton-Black. They’ve improved their squad in my book and they are a force to be reckoned with.”

** The draw for round three of the NNSW Southern Pool of the FFA Cup, which features all 10 NPL clubs, seven from the second tier and five interdistrict teams, will be done on Wednesday.​

source:theherald.com.au

Two soft goals from corner kicks were enough for Charlestown City to walk away with 3 points from Darling St Oval on Saturday night.

A corner kick as early as in the 3^rd minute of play was not cleared and during the ensuing scramble, the referee judged that the ball had crossed the line.

The opening 10’ were very fast with goal mouth action at both ends.

In the 15’ Matthew Swan sent in a cross for Kane Goodchild, forcing the Charlestown defense to extend itself in order to save the day.

After the first 20’ the pace of the game continues to be very fast and the attacking combinations by both teams produced a great spectacle for the neutral supporters.

By the 39” Charlestown rebound another Olympic attack, only for the ball to fall in the path of birthday boy, Kane Goodchild, who had no problem bringing the score level at 1-1!

In the last 10” of the half Olympic are piling on the pressure with Nathan Archibald extending himself yet again to force a corner from another great effort by Kane Goodchild.

Half time found both teams locked at 1-1 and a thoroughly entertaining game for the fans watching.

The opening 10” of the second half were similar in pace and attacking play by both sides.

In the 46’ an innocent corner by Josh Maguire was not cleared and Charlestown were on fire 1-2! A few minutes later Daniel Casciaroli forced Danny Ireland to make the save of the match when he bent his shot around the post for a corner.

In the 65” Scott Smith plucks a long ball out of the sky and forces a double save out of Nathan Archibald.

Between 60’ and 70’ Olympic have total domination and as Charlestown are pinned inside their half. During this period there are some great combinations of attacking play and Kyle Hodges can be seen in midfield, adding to the pressure.

In the 77’ Kane Goodchild breaks with Scott Smith and despite advancing the ball inside the box, hits the side netting of the Charlestown goal.

Despite the pressure exerted by Olympic until the last minute of play, Charlestown hold on to three very precious 3 points.

U20s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  4-1

U18s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  5-2

source:Tom Tsamouras